Head of Operational Risk & Resilience (80-100%)

Sygnum is a global digital asset banking group, founded on Swiss and Singapore heritage. We empower professional and institutional investors, banks, corporates and DLT foundations to invest in digital assets with complete trust. Our team enables this through our institutional-grade security, expert personal service and portfolio of regulated digital asset banking, asset management, tokenization and B2B services.

In Switzerland, Sygnum holds a banking licence and has CMS and Major Payment Institution Licences in Singapore. The group is also regulated in the established global financial hubs of Abu Dhabi and Luxembourg.

We believe that the future has heritage. Our crypto-native team of banking, investment and digital asset technology professionals are building a trusted gateway between the traditional and digital asset economies that we call Future Finance. To learn more about how Sygnum’s mission and values are shaping this digital asset ecosystem, please visit sygnum.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Our Values

A key pillar of our success are the Sygnum values that define and unite us a team. We proudly call them our SYGN values:

• S stands for the importance we hold in Seeking and seizing opportunities, and the way we take personal ownership for delivering results for our clients;
• Y represents the way we say Yes to maintaining the highest level of integrity and fairness in everything we do. Sygnumers always display confidence without attitude;
• G reminds us to always Grow and win together. We only succeed by supporting each other and challenging ourselves, and our team-mates, to reach for new heights;
• N is here for Nose for value because we are always looking to focus on what matters most to our clients, partners and team.

Sygnum has one of the most diverse teams in the industry. Diversity plays a central role in keeping our work culture open, our teams productive and energised, and our solutions at the forefront of the industry. In the spirit of our SYGN value to "grow and win together", we fully embrace an equal opportunity mindset in the way we onboard, develop and promote our team members.

About the role

We are looking for a Head of Operational Risk & Resilience to lead the second-line operational risk function of the world's first regulated digital asset bank. Reporting directly to the Chief Risk Officer, you will own our operational risk framework end-to-end — and drive the bank's operational resilience agenda under FINMA Circular 2023/1 across our custody, trading, tokenisation and banking businesses. This is a hands-on leadership role in a lean, high-calibre risk function: you will set the direction, lead a small team, and personally deliver the substance that makes independent challenge credible — towards the business, the Group Executive Board and FINMA.

Key responsibilities

• Own and continuously develop the operational risk management framework: policy, RCSA methodology, incident and loss-data management, issue management, scenario analysis and integration with the bank's Risk Appetite Framework
• Lead the operational resilience programme under FINMA Circular 2023/1: critical function mapping, impact tolerances, scenario testing and second-line oversight of business continuity management
• Provide second-line oversight and challenge of outsourcing and third-party risk management in line with FINMA requirements, covering the bank's critical technology providers
• Own operational risk reporting: design and produce KRIs, integrated risk reports and committee papers for the Group Executive Board, Board risk committee, and for the Regulators
• Represent operational risk towards regulator, external and internal audit, including ownership of remediation items and regulatory submissions
• Lead, develop and prioritise a small team, and coordinate operational risk matters across group entities
• Drive the modernisation of the risk function's tooling, including AI-augmented approaches to reporting, KRI production and risk assessment documentation

• 8+ years of experience in operational or non-financial risk management within a regulated bank or financial institution, including several years in a leadership or senior second-line role; Swiss regulatory environment strongly preferred
• Deep working knowledge of FINMA Circular 2023/1 (operational risks and resilience) and Swiss outsourcing requirements, with a track record of building or substantially uplifting an operational risk or resilience framework
• A hands-on "player-coach" profile: comfortable owning methodology and committee papers personally in a lean team, not only directing others
• Strong technology affinity and genuine interest in digital assets: able to engage credibly on custody infrastructure, key management, cloud and 24/7 market operations — crypto-curious, with banking discipline
• A credible challenger with the seniority and judgement to disagree constructively with first-line leaders and to stand alone in front of the Group Executive Board and the regulator — confidence without attitude
• Excellent written and spoken English; German a strong advantage for the Swiss regulatory context

Our Offer

Joining Sygnum means being part of a dynamic, global team that is building a trusted gateway between the traditional and digital asset economies. Working at Sygnum, you will experience our fast-paced, exciting work environment that embraces meritocracy and collaboration and open communication. Alongside our ambitious long-term mission, we also come together for reaching important milestones and annual crypto-industry anniversaries like Bitcoin Pizza Day, and regularly celebrate together at themed company events as part of our journey to shape Future Finance.

Sygnum offers a comprehensive package of benefits for all team members. They include:

• Attractive combination of market salaries and entrepreneurial incentive scheme
• Professional development via Mentoring and Buddy programs
• One-month fully paid sabbatical after five years of continuous employment

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